To support community wellness in South Pacific County through active collaborations

I had the pleasure of attending the Science of Hope Conference in Federal Way in April. The intention was to learn about what we are doing to integrate the Adverse Childhood Experiences Education into all sectors and how other organizations promote awareness about resilience to their communities.

The two night and three day conference had mini sessions on epigenetics, powerful partnerships, health equity, trust in an organization, and adaptive learning.

"HOPE IS A SOCIAL GIFT -- THE WAY WE INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER"

There were three key note speakers: Dr. Chan Hellman, PhD (Hope is a Social Gift), Dr. Shawn Ginwright, PhD (Hope and Healing), and Dr. Laurence Steinberg, PhD (Age of Opportunity). The conference had one true focus: hope as the underlying powerful tool to creating resilience and change.

Dr. Ginwright spoke about the work they are doing in Oakland with youth in urban communities. The Innovated Youth Development Agency hires ex-cons and addicts to work with young gang members and practicing empowerment through healthy activism, goal setting and modeling alternatives to warfare and drugs.

Ginwright spoke about another group in Chicago that is using a mapping method to determine where the resilience gaps are and training everyday “Hope Champions.” The champions are everyday people you may see on the street or grocery store who can have open conversations about healthy coping methods, what ACES are, and how to find new pathways to hope and resilience.

Dr. Hellman is one of the nation’s leading researchers on understanding and measuring hope and the concept of hope as a social gift. His recent research focuses on the application of positive psychology and how to apply that in organizations and boost effectiveness.

How do organizations impact their clients hope, through care and support? Are we measuring how that positive psychology impacts the individual client? Creating new pathways in our minds to find a solution to a problem is easier in a healthy, resilient person but challenging if you live in an at-risk environment.

"Hope is a social gift -- the way we interact with each other. It’s a catalyst for ‘The Good Life,’" says Dr. Chan Hellman.

I felt like my spirit was reenergized as I worked through the deeper dive workshops. I learned more about the effects of epigenetics, building community resources, placing Hope Champions to create meaningful and sustainable relationships for our youth, and what trust means to your organization.

The conference was put on by Foundation for Healthy Generation in Federal Way and is an annual conference. The 2017 Conference is April 26 & 27, 2017. Mark your calendars!